I keep my "work", files I edit and manipulate, in a work tree because it simplifies backing up. I use a Work Backup script to copy files daily to another spindle. On my home machine, that's a 3^rd hard drive used soly for backups. At work, it goes to a network directory. In general, this program is evolving to allow "backup buddies" over the Internet via encrypted backups.

Meanwhile, I do a full image backup monthly, of the entire hard drive. I do this with a special boot disk, copying the entire disk image, funny OS files and all. The program I use, PQ DriveImage, has a utility that lets me access the image file as an archive, too. That lets me fish out files I didn't know I needed to back up! For disaster recovery, I can restore the whole drive image to a new disk. I burn the monthly backup to a set of CD's—reusing 3 sets of R/W and saving a perminant CD-R every 4 to 6 months.

For version control at home, I use Source Safe because it came with the compiler.

To move files between work and home, I used to have a ZIP drive for this purpose. Now I can FTP them, but for small things I typically use a floppy disk or email it to myself. I don't have the ZIP hooked up at home anymore.

—John